My #4 moment of the year is another milestone accomplishment for the NRA's Education and Training Division. Back in October, the division sold its one millionth copy of the NRA Guide to the Basics of Pistol Shooting. Better known as the Basic Pistol handbook, the guide is a comprehensive resource on responsible pistol use and is the foundation of NRA’s popular Basic Pistol and FIRST Steps Pistol Orientation courses.

Replacing the aging pistol handbook in July 2009, the Basic Pistol handbook was written with intent to be more than a by-the-numbers instruction manual. The NRA wanted the Basic Pistol handbook to become an at-home reference guide that gun owners would be proud to put on their bookshelves. The guide covers a breadth of topics including basic firearm safety, storage options, range rules, target scoring and basic fundamentals such as shooting positions, grip and aiming.

Since coming off the press, the NRA has been shipping nearly 650 copies of the book per day. NRA's Program Materials Center sells the Basic Pistol handbook both individually and as part of a the packet in NRA Instructor-led courses. Thanks to the continued growing national interest in firearms, we don't expect that number to slow down any time soon and look forward to celebrating the sale of the 2,000,000th Basic Pistol handbook in a few years.

Fairfax, Virginia - For all of those NRA Training Counselors out there, you know the drill. You post a class on NRAInstructors.org, reserve some range time and hold a class. Then there's the tricky part — submitting paperwork. Usually that means mailing things here to NRA Headquarters. That could take a while to process. No more.

Fairfax, Virginia - Earlier this month NRA's Education and Training Division sold its one millionth copy of the NRA Guide to the Basics of Pistol Shooting. Known as the Basic Pistol handbook, the guide is a comprehensive resource on responsible pistol use and is the foundation of NRA’s popular Basic Pistol and FIRST Steps Pistol Orientation courses.

First published in July 2009, the Basic Pistol handbook was written with the intent of becoming an at-home reference guide for gun owners. Topics included in the guide are basic firearm safety, storage options, range rules, target scoring and basic fundamentals such as shooting positions, grip and aiming. The guide can be purchased both individually and as part of a NRA Instructor-led course from the NRA’s Program Materials Center.

Program Materials Center in the midst of its most successful year ever

Fairfax, Virginia - The NRA Program Materials Center is having a record year thanks to our dedicated and very busy NRA Instructors. Through the first three quarters of 2013, the National Rifle Association’s Program Materials Center has processed a record 46,000 transactions, selling 850,000 units of training materials.

The Program Materials Center is the NRA’s source for firearm training handbooks and videos, shooting aides, medals, program apparel and more. It stocks more than 900 items to help people both educate themselves on and enjoy their Second Amendment rights.

Year after year, the center's top sellers are materials for NRA's firearm education and training courses. Among those, the most sought-after items are for NRA’s pistol-based courses, predominantly NRA Basic Pistol, FIRST Steps Pistol Orientation, and Basic Personal Protection in the Home.

“Our Program Materials Center is an invaluable resource to the more than 116,000 dedicated instructors who ensure the National Rifle Association is the United States’ top provider of firearms training,” said Bill Poole, Managing Director of NRA’s Education and Training Division. “Without the support of our instructors, we would not be able to help so many Americans enjoy their Second Amendment rights in a safe and responsible manner.”

NRA switches to fully automated, online Instructor processing

Fairfax, Virginia - As of October 1, NRA Training will be fully automated for processing Instructor candidates online. This is a big change, and this will definitely be an improvement over the old methods we've been using.

Make sure that your candidates know they will be handling things by this method. There will no longer be the one-year initial credentialing period; we are going to two-year initial and renewal periods. Once the Training Counselor or Chief Range Safety Officer has finished the online course reports at NRAInstructors.org, candidates log in at NRAInstructors.org and are prompted to complete their credentials processing. They check off the electronic disclaimer, pay their credentialing fee online, and then print or download their own certificate/ID card. They will not be able to perform in the capacity as an NRA Trainer until they finish this process.

Fairfax, Virginia - Continuing our observance of June as National Safety Month (NSM), we are highlighting our rules for proper gun use and storage. Knowledge of safe gun handling techniques follows NSM’s stated goals of educating and influencing behaviors around leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths.

If you're already familiar with our three fundamental Gun Safety Rules - ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction; ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot; ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use - these additional rules should be implemented as complementary practices.

“Displaying functional knowledge of a gun’s parts, proper maintenance techniques and taking measured precautions before shooting are essential skills for responsible gun owners,” said Bill Poole, Managing Director of NRA’s Education and Training Division. “Whether you own a firearm or not, knowing these rules will maximize safety and minimize risk of accident when one is present.”

The NRA's three Gun Safety Rules are the cornerstone of responsible gun ownership

Fairfax, Virginia - The National Rifle Association espouses safe firearm handling in everything we do. Whether competitive shooting or hunter education or simple gun collecting, safety is a first step in everything we do. That is especially true for our NRA Training Courses.

"We have been honing and refining NRA's Gun Safety Rules for more than 140 years,” said Bill Poole, Managing Director of NRA’s Education and Training Division.
"They are easy to understand, easy to remember, and ensure the highest possible level of firearm safety. Most importantly, they are the first and most crucial step in becoming a responsible gun owner."

Those rules fit perfectly into National Safety Month. Promoted by the National Safety Council every June, National Safety Month was developed as:

...an annual observance to educate and influence behaviors around leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths.

As women’s interest in firearms rapidly grows, the demand for female shooting instructors has followed suit.

"Women prefer to be taught by women," says Diane Danielson, NRA's Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinic Coordinator. “They have an instant connection that makes events like NRA's Women on Target so successful.”

And she would know.

Since Danielson stepped on board a few years back, NRA Women’s Instructor Training Courses have been springing up all over the United States. At the 2011 NRA Annual Meeting, for example, the first Women’s Instructor Training Course took place under the watchful eye of Diane and two of her top female instructors. The success of that event, held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and the Allegheny Country Rifle Club, has lead to an impressive increase in the number of female Certified NRA instructors.

There's an NRA course for everyone out there and NRAInstructors.org will help you find it

Fairfax, Virginia - Want to learn the proper way to shoot a pistol? What about a shotgun? Muzzleloader? How about learning the basics of 3-Gun competitions, how to be a Range Safety Officer, or even how to teach others to shoot?

All of these and more can be learned through the NRA's expansive list of courses. NRAInstructors.org is your go-to spot for learning what education and training courses are available and where you can attend one.